With the development of microelectronics involving the high integration of semiconductor devices, there is now a range of equipment which is both highly functional as well as being miniaturized. Industrial robot type control systems using a comparatively large amount of energy are also no exception. With this type of control system, control of high energy is controlled by an extremely small amount of energy, by incorporating microelectronics into the control equipment. As a result, problems with erroneous operation due to noise and the like arise, so that the demand for electromagnetic relays as final stage output devices is increasing.
Conventional electromagnetic relays occupy large volume, incomparably greater than that for semiconductor devices. Accordingly, in order to progress with miniaturization of equipment, miniaturization of electromagnetic relays is required.
Heretofore, the smallest standard wire wound type electromagnetic relay is 14 mm long, 19 mm wide and 5 mm high (refer to Ultra Thin Signal Relays, Matsushita Electric Publication, No. 35, pp27-31 (1987)).
Moreover, recently, in order to further miniaturize an electromagnetic relay, a planar type electromagnetic relay made using micro machining techniques has been proposed (refer to H Hosoka, H Kuwano and K. Yanagisawa, "Electromagnetic Micro Relays: Concepts and Fundamental Characteristics", Proc. IEEE MENS Workshop 93, (1993), pp.12-17).
With this planar type relay also however since the coil is a conventional wire wound type, miniaturization is limited.
The present invention takes into consideration the above situation, with the object of providing for further miniaturization of electromagnetic relays.